The Crucible

In "The Crucible," by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great detail. It follows the Salem witch trials, which occurred in the 1600's, fairly accurately. It shows the unusual way of life that the Puritans led during these early Colonial times. The puritan religion is one that is hardly understood in today's world of never-ending excuses and finger pointing. This is human nature at it's finest. Puritanism probably couldn't …

…make for a better story, but in reality the reasons for the witch craft accusations were much more complex. The reasons behind the accusations would result in many more quarrels over the years, but none as interesting or as horrifying as the Salem witch trials. In such a straight-laced Puritan society, there lived many people with hidden darkness in their hearts, and the Salem witch trials exposed and magnified the consequences of those black desires.